Automatic safety lock for record feed



Nov. 19, 1935. J, D B GHT 2,021,681

AUTOMATIC SAFETY LOOK FOR RECORD FEED Filed Oct. 8, 1932 IINVENTOR. J5s D. BRIGHT,

A TTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 19, 1935 I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,021,681 AUTOMATIC SAFETY LOOK FOR RECORD FEED Jesse D. Bright, Dallas, Tex., assignor, by mesne assignments, to American Sales Book Company, Inc., a corporatlon of Delaware Application October 8, 1932, Serial No. 636,797

9 Claims. (Cl. 271-2.4)

This invention relates to improvements in strip Fig. 2 is a central, longitudinal, vertical section feeding apparatus, more especially in apparatus of the apparatus of Fig. l; and for feeding record strips utilized in connection Fig. 3 is a detail, perspective view of the feeler with various forms of manifolding devices, such mechanism. 5 as typewriting machines, billing machines, auto- Although the invention may be embodied in 5 graphic registers and the like. different forms of manifolding machines, it is It is a general object of the invention to proherein disclosed for illustrative purposes in convide a strip feeding apparatus of the class mennection with a writing or inscribing machine of tioned having an improved and advantageous arthe autographic register type. This machine as rangement for automatically controlling the strip shown may embody a casing or housing indicated 10 feed under conditions of strip abnormality such generally at 5 and may be of any preferred con for example as breaks or tears and like interrupstruction. This housing embodies a storage comtions in the continuity of the record strips. partment 6 for the reception of the record supply It is a more particular object of the invention 1 which may be made up as shown, of a plurality to provide in machines of the class mentioned, a of record strips 8 0f the long continuous traveller 15 record strip feeding apparatus having an imtype. The rear end of the housing is provided proved arrangement cooperating directly with with an entrance opening for inserting the record one or more of the record strips to automatically supply 1 and preferably closed by a pivoted closure control or check the strip feed under predetermember 9. At its opposite end, the housing is mined conditions. provided with a filing compartment l0 into which According to an important feature of the inone or more of the record strips 8 may be intro- Vention, a feed locking Checking apparatus is duced and folded or filed therein by any approprovided and is automatically controlled by the priate filing mechanism. This strip folding mechstrips through the intermediary of a feeler deanism may for example, be of the type disclosed vice cooperating with the strip to control the lockin the Johnston patent, Serial No. 1,658,127, dated 25 ins mechanism under predetermined strip o n i- February '7, 1928. It is, therefore, considered untions such as interruptions or similar abnormalinecessary to describe this folding mechanism in ties t re detail herein. The lower record strip 8 for the still another object of the invention is to propurpose mentioned, is provided with a longitudivid an mp v d appa s r d n nnal series of fold directing apertures as in the us o in the TeCOId Strips and in h making 0f Johnston patent, while all of the record strips are records thereon under abnormal strip conditions preferably provided ith feed controlling apersuC fo a p as a teal interruption in 0119 tures i I cooperating with the feed mechanism for of the str ps or a failure of the strip supply and aligning and controlling the record strips as fully ot analogous conditionsdescribed in said patent. The housing 5 is also Othe Obj s of the invention W be in p provided with a closure member 52 for the storage po out in the following detailed d s p n compartment is, being pivoted at its lower end to of an illustrative but preferred embodiment of the th casing and having pivoted to its upper end a invention and will be in part obvious in conneccover is,

t therewith A feeding mechanism of a preferred construc- 40 The inv nti n rd y comprises the tion is shown embodying a feed shaft Ml prefertures of construction, combinations of elements, ably arranged for manual operation by means of and arran ements of p t Which l be eXema driving crank l5, and having attached thereon plified in the construction hereinafter set forth in spaced relation feed di c l6. T e feed discs and the 0 1 of th application of which will be are spaced apart laterally of the machine the same 45 indicated in the claims. as the spacing of the feed controlling apertures I i For a more complete disclosure and underof the strips and cooperate with an upper feed standing of the nature and objects of the invenroll I! rotatably mounted in a housing i8. This tion, reference is had to the following detailed feed roll i1 is ordinarily spring pressed into endescription of the illustrative embodiment and in easement with. th e d d s I6 so as to p the 50 the accompanying drawing, in which: record strips in the feeding operation.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a manifolding machine Also, in the embodiment shown, a toothed drivof the autographic register type embodying the ing gear i9 is rigidly mounted upon the driving invention, parts being broken away so as to reshaft I4 for rotation therewith and meshes with veal importantstructural features; a similar but smaller tooth gear mounted upon 55 the feed roll IT. The feed discs and roll are thus compelled to rotate in unison.

Strip guides 20 are provided at the rearward end of the machine over which the strips pass in their course to the writing platen 2|. A cover 22 overlies the top of the machine being pivoted at 23 and having an opening over the platen through which the inscriptions are written upon the record strips. Carbon transfer sheets C may be supported in any convenient manner in interleaved transfer relation with the record strips 8 over the writing platen 2|. Inscriptions made upon the top original strip 8 will thus be transferred to the underlying strips.

As thus described, the platen 2| and the forward strip guide 20 provide a support for the record strips having a gap 24 at which the record strips are normally unsupported. It will be observed that the strips bridge or pass over this gap in their course from the record supply compartment to the platen.

Extending transversely of the casing is a rock shaft 25 having attached thereon a crank arm 25. Pivoted at 21 to the crank arm is a locking bolt 28 having its forward terminal positioned adjacent to the teeth of the driving gear Hi. This locking bolt as shown, may be supported for longitudinal reciprocation in any desired manner within the casing as for example upon the tops of the ribs 29. A retainer or keeper 3!? may also be provided for maintaining the locking bolt in its correct position with reference to the driving gear I9.

Connected to another crank arm 3| fixed upon the rock shaft 25 is a feeler member 32. This feeler member is provided with a connecting arm 33 pivoted at 34 to the crank arm 3|. The feeler member 32 as shown, is preferably in the form of a light stiff rod, preferably of metal, and normally positioned directly in alignment above the gap 24 in the record strip support. Also, the crank arm 3| normally extends forwardly of the machine from the rock shaft 25. By means of this arrangement, the rock shaft is normally acted upon by the weight of the feeler member 32 and the crank arm 3| to tend to cause its rotation by gravity in a. direction to project the looking bolt forwardly. However, it will be understood that other biasing means such for example as a spring, may be utilized to effect this projection of the locking bolt. The rock shaft 25 preferably extends at one end to a point outside of the casing wall whereat it is provided with a knurled knob 35 by means of which the feeler 32 may be raised or lowered manually.

Cooperating with the toothed gear i9 is a ratchet pawl or dog 36 pivoted to the frame and having a tooth engaging the gear teeth in such a manner as to prevent reverse rotation of the feed shaft I 4 and the feed discs Hi. This pawl is pivoted to the frame and is provided with a projection or tail member 31 positioned in contact relation with the forward end of the locking bolt 28. The projection 31 thus functions as a stop or anchor for the end of the locking bolt preventing the latter from rising upwardly when in engagement with the gear teeth when the feed shaft is rotating forwardly. Therefore, not only does the pawl provide a stop lug for the locking bolt, but said pawl is held firmly in looking position by the locking bolt thus assuring that the feed discs may not be reversely rotated.

The objects and nature of the invention having been set forth and an illustrative embodiment described in detail, the operation of the invention will now be apparent. The record strips are threaded into operative position in the machine as shown in Fig. 2, at least one of these 5 strips underlying the feeler finger or member 32. In the embodiment shown, only the lower or file strip to be filed in the compartment i8 is shown as underlying the f eeler member. When the lower strip is threaded into position, the feeler may 10 be raised by turning the knob 35 thus facilitating the threading. When thus threaded into position, the lower strip supports the feeler member in raised position holding the locking bolt 28 re tracted away from engagement with the teeth 15 of the wheel IS. The parts embodied in the looking mechanism are quite light and are balanced so that very little effort is required to maintain the locking bolt in this retracted position. The lower strip arranged as described is sufiicient for this purpose.

As long as the lower record strip remains continuous and uninterrupted it functions to maintain the locking bolt in releasing condition. However, when this strip is interrupted in any way as for example by a tear or by exhaustion of the strip supply or similar abnormality, the support of the feeler member is withdrawn. Under these conditions, the feeler member will descend by gravity into the gap 24 and the rock shaft 25 will be correspondingly rotated and the locking bolt 28 thus projected forwardly into engagement with the teeth of the driving gear. When this occurs the bolt 28 thus functions as an effectual lock to prevent further rotation of the feeding mechanism. Therefore, the feeding mechanism will not function to feed the strips until the locking bolt is withdrawn. This may be done manually by turning the knob 35. The action described, however, is notice to the operator that the continuity of the lower strip has been disturbed. The machine will not function normally again to feed the record strips until the continuity of thelower strip has been rewill function normally to feed the record strips forwardly. It will be understood that the feed mechanism of this type of machine normally operates in cycles to feed the record strips forwardly a form length at a time as fully described in the Johnston patent referred to.

Since certain changes may be made in the above construction and different embodiments of the invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative andv not in a limiting sense.

Having described my invention, what I claim 60 as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. In a record machine, in combination, a platen, means for feeding a continuous record strip, locking means including a strip engaging 65 mal strip conditions.

2. In a record machine, in combination, a

platen, means for feeding a record strip, supporting means for the strip having a gap adjacent to said platen, a feeler member in engagement with the strip in alignment with said gap and riding upon the upper surface of the strip, a movably mounted locking bolt positioned in locking relation with a movable part of said feeding mechanism, a controlling connection between said bolt and said feeler member normally holding the bolt in released position through cooperation of the strip with the feeler member, and

means including said feeler and said controlling connection for moving said bolt into locking engagement with said movable feeding part when an interruption in the strip comes into alignment with the feeler member.

3. In a record machine, in combination, means for feeding a record strip including opposing feed rolls with toothed rotary driving gears therebetween, a movably mounted locking bolt positioned for engagement in looking relation with the teeth of one of said gears, a strip engaging feeler member operatively connected to said bolt to hold the latter in releasing position through the agency of said strip and means for moving said bolt into locking position under predetermined strip conditions.

4. In a record machine, in combination, feeding means for a continuous record strip, a pawl for holding said feeding means in position following a feeding operation, a movably mounted locking bolt engageable in locking relation with said feeding means and having operative connection with said pawl, and lock operating means operatively connected for control by the record strip for moving said locking bolt into position to lock said feeding means and to retain said pawl in its holding position.

5. In a record machine, in combination, feeding means for a continuous record strip, a pawl for holding said feeding means in position following a feeding operation, a movably mounted locking bolt engageable in locking relation with said feeding means and having operative connection with said pawl, and lock operating means operatively connected for control by the record strip for moving said locking bolt into position to lock said feeding means and to retain said pawl in its holding position, said lock operating means including a rock shaft operatively connected to said bolt and an elongated feeler finger extending transversely of and resting upon the record stripand operatively connected to said rock shaft.

6. In a record machine, in combination, feeding means for a plurality of continuous record strips, a strip support having a transversely disposed elongated gap, a locking member cooperating with said feeding means for locking the latter against feeding action, a rock shaft mounted on the machine and having operating connection with said locking member, a lock controlling elongated feeler finger extending between the strips transversely thereof substantially in the plane of the strip path and resting upon the lower strip in alignment with said gap so as to pass into the latter upon a strip interruption coming into alignment with the gap, operating connections between said finger and said rock shaft to operate the latter so as to set said locking member in looking position when said finger passes into said gap and a handle connected to said shaft for manual operation thereof.

7. In a record machine, in combination, feeding means for a plurality of continuous record strips, a strip support having a transversely disposed elongated gap, a locking member cooperating with said feeding means for locking the latter against feeding action, a lock controlling elongated feeler finger extending between the strips transversely thereof substantially in the plane of the strip path and resting upon the lower strip alignment with said gap so as to pass into the latter when a strip interruption comes into alignment with the gap, and operating connections between said finger and said locking member to set the latter in looking position when said finger passes into said gap.

8. In a record machine, in combination, means for feeding a plurality of relatively superposed strips, a locking device for said feeding means, a lock-controlling, elongated feeler finger extending between said strips transversely thereof substantially in the plane of the strip path and res"- ing upon the lower strip, operating connection' between said locking device and said finger, and means whereby interruption in said lower strip causes actuation of said finger to set said locking device.

9. In a record machine, in combination, means for feeding a plurality of relatively superposed strips, a lower one of which is a file strip, a stripto be capable of entering the latter upon failure in said file strip, and operating connection between said locking device and said finger whereby to set the locking device upon interruption in said file strip at said gap.

JESSE D. BRIGHT. 

